On this weekâ€™s The Drill Down podcast, new products from Amazon & Oculus, Google challenges Apple Arcade, WeWork loses its CEO, Boston Dynamics utility robots are now commercial … and much, much more.

On this week’s podcast, join former The Drill Down co-host Tom Cheredar as we discussÂ Spotify buries musicians who arenâ€™t exclusive, Facebook kills the Trending Topics team, what to expect from Apple, is there a spy in your iPhone? How the Clinton Campaign is foiling the Kremlin, and have the Russians hacked U.S. voting systems? …and much, much more!

This week, the NSA taps Yahoo! and Google data centers without their knowledge, NSA spying makes Germany want to secede from the Internet, Netflix wants to stream blockbuster movies at the same time they’re in the theaters, and Turkey builds an intercontinental tunnel linking Europe to Asia. Then, to celebrate The Drill Downâ€™s 300th episode, we discuss the technology that has personally moved us, from our early experiences to our most recent connections…

I love all variety of gadgets. I tend to jump on the bandwagon being pulled behind any new and interesting technology as fast as my wallet will let me. Sometimes I am rewarded, sometimes Iâ€™m disappointed, but I always enjoy the thrill that comes from experiencing vast leaps forward in technology. When Jawbone introduced the UP, I was in the middle of my fitness revolution and was immediately excited to try it out.

Not only does this little bracelet count your steps like a standard little pedometer, but it also tracks your sleep cycles. Jawbone promises that the UPâ€™s gentle vibrations would wake you up at the optimum time in your sleep cycle to ensure a pleasant waking experience every day. Combine all of this with a colorful, fun iPhone app and youâ€™ve got me hook, line, and sinker! I picked up this cool little device as soon as it hit the shelves of my local Target (Target always has all the coolest stuff).

Ever wonder what it might be like to have a Star Trek phaser of your very own? I have. Ever since I saw Kirk and Spock fire at a rock, a Horta, or a crazed crewman, I’ve been intrigued with the possibilities of coherent light. This led to early perusal of The Way Things Work: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Technology for the explanation of how lasers worked and time spent pouring over ads in Edmund Scientific catalogs for real lasers. Eventually, I got to do some experiments with lasers in my college physics classes, but I was still not completely satisfied.

Though the Executive Series Fusion has the size, dull matte finish, and heft of a high quality laser pointer, it means serious business. Meant for the optics enthusiast, it is bright — insanely bright. You can see the beam in darkened rooms. You can also damage objects. You can make holes in dark-colored balloons and dark trash bags and cut black electrical tape. The Wicked Lasers web site even says it will light wood or paper matches.